Gov. Tim Kaine speculated Thursday that the General Assembly will reconsider the expensive fees soon to be imposed on bad Virginia drivers, infuriating Republicans who said the sanctions are the best way to raise needed transportationrevenue.
“I don’t know what the hell he is talking about,” said Del. David Albo, R-Springfield, a key architect of the funding legislation. “Maybe he was trying to dodge the question.”
Recommended Stories
Kaine made his comments during his monthly show on WRVA radio in Richmond, the second time in three days he has heard directly from Virginians who were upset about the fees during a radio appearance.
“That was kind of the format of the bill when it reached me, and I didn’t change that feature,” said Kaine, a Democrat. “I think that’s something the legislature may address in the future.” Starting Sunday, penalties ranging from $750 to $3,000 will be imposed on Virginians who commit traffic misdemeanors and felonies. Additional fees are levied on drivers who accumulate eight demerit points after Sunday. The governor, Albo said, should know legislators cannot easily change the fees that are expected to generate $65 million annually.
The levies are not considered traffic fines under Virginia law. That is because the state constitution requires traffic fines to go into a school-construction fund, and amending the constitution is a three-year process, Albo said.
The penalties’ fee status means the sanctions cannot be imposed on out-of-state drivers because Virginia has no way to require payment. A Virginia driver who refuses to pay will have his or her license suspended, but the state does not have the power to suspend a Maryland license, for example.
“Building roads costs money,” Albo said. “If we had raised the income tax, sales tax or gas tax, the public uproar would be a lot louder.”
Reacting to the building public criticism, Republicans are stressing the fees will impact a small percentage of Virginians. .
